Rio de Janeiro community action

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Imagine that a friend tells you there's a fancy new restaurant in town. At first, you might not care, since there's a pretty slim chance of you eating out at any kind of restaurant. Now imagine your friend telling you that at this gourmet dining hall, with high-end lighting design, furniture, and art installations, homeless patrons are not just welcomed, but fed for free.

Rio de Janeiro is a city of extremes. Inequality is rampant, and while a small elite enjoy the "luxury" of housing, high quality education, and concentrated public funding, the majority of its citizens share the rest. The best examples of sharing are born not out of excess but from scarcity and collective problem solving. How do you build a house without money? How can you study if you can't afford to pay for a bus to class? How can a farmer survive with no land? How can people without access to resources reasonably start up a working business? And of course – how can people help each other stay safe?^[1]

These community groups are transforming Rio de Janeiro into a Sharing City:

• Catalytic Communities (CatComm/ComCat)^[2] or CatComm - uses technology to link grassroots community groups so they can learn from each other's successes, and support one another's work. When community organizations tackle local problems, their work would be easier if they knew about successful programs in similar neighborhoods around the world.

CatComm realizes people solve crises in their communities every day, and the Internet is the perfect tool to replicate these successes.They collect and posts how-to examples in our Community Solutions Database. These real-life stories address a wide range of issues, from HIV prevention to spurring economic growth, providing effective care for children and the elderly, and much more. The database of over 130 projects inspires people to make a difference around the world.